Spring Semester Junior Year: The College Process Begins

Junior spring might be the most challenging semester of high school.

Most students are juggling standardized test prep and rigorous coursework, as well as possibly beginning prep for AP exams and SAT Subject Tests. And there’s one more ball to throw up in the air: second semester of junior year is also when the college application process really gets underway.

You may be asking yourself how it’s all going to get done. Well, there’s not a whole lot you can do about your heavy workload this semester. However, learning to be proactive during this period can give you a lot more control, and help build skills for dealing with difficult situations in the future.

High school juniors and their parents aren’t known to be a highly collaborative bunch, but this is a time where parental involvement can be really valuable. This doesn’t mean your parents should solve your problems for you—while this semester is a challenge, it also offers a unique opportunity for personal growth. But parents can help you keep the big picture in mind instead of getting bogged down in minutiae.

Parents can also keep you on track when it comes to juggling those responsibilities: whether it’s helping schedule ACTs or college visits or looking into working with a tutor or coach, parents can be a great source of support when things get hectic. They can also help remind you about basics like sleep, exercise, and nutrition—it’s easy to let these fall by the wayside, but self-care is absolutely vital to make sure you navigate junior year with flying colors.

In short, the second semester of junior year is demanding, no doubt about it. Smart planning and maintaining a sense of priorities can help you manage these next few months more effectively, but keeping perspective is also vital. It’s easy for students and parents to forget that there’s a lot more to life than grades and scores, class rankings and college admissions. While all of these things matter, they’re never more important than long-term well-being.

Keep checking in with our other junior-year-focused blog posts. And if you feel like there are just too many balls up in the air, you can always reach out to Signet for assistance. We are here and happy to help.